suspense
n.-
1 excitement about an outcome (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatethe feeling of excitement or tension you have when you are waiting to find out what happens next in a story or movie.
the pleasurable state of anticipation regarding the resolution of a narrative or event.
ExampleThe movie kept us in suspense until the very last scene.
ExampleThe director masterfully builds suspense by withholding key information from the audience until the final act of the play.
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2 anxiety from uncertainty (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea nervous or worried feeling because you do not know what will happen in a difficult situation.
a state of painful or anxious uncertainty while awaiting a decision or outcome.
ExampleThe suspense of waiting for the medical results was hard to handle.
ExampleThe long silence from the jury kept the defendant in agonizing suspense for several hours.
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3 legal suspension (n.) C2 Proficiency Formal Technical Lawa temporary stop or delay in a legal right or process.
the temporary cessation or interruption of a right, claim, or legal proceeding.
ExampleThe payment of the rent was held in suspense until the owner was found.
ExampleThe court ruled that the property rights would remain in suspense pending the outcome of the probate investigation.
UsageOften used in the phrase 'in suspense'.
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4 a deadline (n.) C1 Advanced American English Technicala specific date or time when a task must be finished.
a fixed time limit or deadline for the completion of a task or report.
ExampleThe captain set a suspense for the end of the week to finish the report.
ExampleAll departments must meet the suspense of Friday afternoon to ensure the budget is submitted on time.
UsageCommonly used in military or government administrative contexts.
From Middle English suspense, suspence, from Anglo-Norman suspens (as in en suspens) and Old French suspens, from Latin suspēnsus.
- Nounsuspense
- Adjectivesuspenseful